A New Pest of Sorghum: the Sugarcane Aphid
R.T. Villanueva and D. Sekula
20th Annual Rio Grande Valley Cotton & Grain Pre-Plant Conference Edcouch, Jan 17, 2014
Weslaco : Oct 24 2013
Weslaco : Mid-Dec 2013
What are sugarcane aphids?• Soft bodied insects that
sucks sap from plant tissues and produce honeydew that may hamper transpiration.
World distribution of the sugarcane aphids Sugarcane Sorghum Rice Maize Not Present
Sugarcane aphids found on different host plants in the world. Notice that this aphid only infested one plant host species in some countries while other hosts were not affected (Adapted from Singh et al. 2004)
Problems with the ID of the sugarcane aphids
• A host shift might occurred (It wouldn’t be the first time for aphids) or a new biotype was introduced
• Using molecular tools it matched the taxonomic ID
• However, there are several biotypes in the world
• Taxonomically this new pest of sorghum was indistinct to Melanaphis sacchari
1977 - FLSUGARCANE
1999 - LASUGARCANE
2013 - TX SORGHUM
HISTORICAL REPORTS ON THE PRESENCE OF SUGARCANE APHIDS IN THE USA
The new aphid pest of sorghum was detected in 38 counties and parishes of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Mississippi in 2013. All sorghum growing counties in may be at risk. Further expansions into other areas is a possibility. This aphid spreads rapidly across a wide geographic range. The three red dots are the approximate locations where this aphid was reported in Rio Bravo, San Fernando and C. Victoria in Mexico.
Expansion of the sugarcane aphid 2013
Mid-June 2013: 1st report of infestations in sorghum near Beaumont in TX, by Dr. Way
• Yield losses can be as high as 78%
• In South Africa losses had been reported between 24 to 73% %
• In Louisiana and Mexico losses reported between 50 to 100% • In Weslaco seed increase
plots were completely lost
Effects on Yield
• Aphid feeding did not affect grain color but reduce grain hardness in South Africa
• Softer grain may have a significant impact in the milling industry
• Diastatic power reduced: production of a number of enzymes such as amylase which convert starch into sugar
Grain Quality
Greenhouse colony S. Armstrong
Sugarcane aphids: colonize lower surface of leaves
Weslaco Field collected Dec-2013R. Villanueva
Weslaco notice winged aphids: Jan-2014R. Villanueva
Sugarcane aphids
• All females and live 28 days (range 10-37 days)
• 4 nymphal instars can be adults in 5 days
• Nymphs can developed on 4.3 to 12.4 days
• Born alive (viviparous)
Life cycle
Exponential growth of populationsFoundress
1st wk
2rd wk
3rd wk
Apteran forms
Alate
Nymphs
1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
Damage on under side of leaves
Symbiosis of aphids and ants
Louisiana: problems during harvest due to honeydew
Combine in Tamaulipas, MX with abundant sugarcane aphids
Corn leaf aphid
Sugarcane aphid
Yellow sugarcane aphid
Greenbug aphid
Prefers young plants
Biotypes are reported
Other aphids species pests of sorghum
Resistant cultivars• Dr. Armstrong (USDA-Stillwater OK): cultivar TX-2783 does
provide seedling resistance. • Many sorghum lines are being evaluated for resistance by
Drs. Peterson and Rooney, Texas AgriLfe Research.• Commercial lines????
Weslaco, January 2014 (R. Villanueva)
Natural enemies
Insects:• Parasitoids• Lacewings• Ladybeettles• Sweat flies• Thrips
Fungus• Lecanicillium
lecanii
Parasitoids Lace wings
Lady beetlesHarmonia axyridis
Exochomus childreni
ScymnusCryptolaemus
Cycloneda sanguinea
Sweat Flies or Syrphids
Fungus (?) Lecanicillium lecanii
Chemical control• Weslaco: Experimental seed increase plots were
heavily affected
• Louisiana: Farmer fields were heavily affected, in spite of 2 or 3 applications of Lorsban
• Tamaulipas: Farmers and experimental fields were heavily infested, there were up to 10 applications of mixtures Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban)m cypermethrin, methomyil
• Success with metamidophos (Monitor, Nitofol, Tamaron, Swipe, Nuratron, Vetaron, Filitox, Patrole, Tamanox). Currently phased out in the U.S.
Insecticide test in China, nr Beaumont Dr. Mo Way August 2013 Field previously had been treated with Lorsban 4E: 2 or 3 times
Insecticide test in Weslaco, TX. Villanueva and Sekula Oct-Nov 2013 Field previously had been treated with 2 applications each of Warhawk® (2 pts/A), Prevathon® (2 pts/A) and Di-Syston® 8 (1.5 pts/A)
Summary• The new aphid pest of sorghum is taxonomically indistinct to M.
sacchari: might be a new biotype that switched hosts or a new invasive species recently introduced into the U.S.
• There are indications that this aphid will persist in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and nearby areas in Mexico, the Coastal Bend and other sorghum regions in the USA and Mexico
• Dimethoate 4EC at 1 pt/ac might provide adequate control. A Section 18 Emergency Exemption Label has been requested for Transform WG insecticide.
• Management should include tolerant/resistant cultivars TX-2783 (?) or commercial lines
• Natural enemies are abundant however, their impact is unknown.
Acknowledgments• Beto Garza who provided a lot of support in
this program• Drs. S. Armstrong, M. Brewer and M. Way
collaborators in this program• People under my program: Gabriela Esparza,
Sergio Davila, Alma Olguin, Cedric Galvan, Daniel Garcia, Joe Zamora, Justin Wendell
• Thanks to industry for providing insecticide products.
• Many thanks to the Texas Grain Sorghum Board, and United Sorghum Checkoff for their encouragement to address this pest.
• Thanks to the many grain sorghum producers who first noticed damaged fields and invited us to their fields